Background: Ethnicity is an important dimension in many aspects of psychosis.
Objective: To investigate ethnic differences in the primary care management of patients with psychosis.
Methods: Data were obtained from Lambeth DataNet, a database of computerized general practice case records derived from practices in an inner city London borough. We undertook a cross-sectional survey of patients with psychosis.
Outcome measures: health screening, chronic disease management and prescribing data and differences between ethnic groups were expressed as odds ratios (ORs).
Results: One thousand six hundred and ninety-four of 165,911 (1.02%) registered patients had a diagnosis of psychosis; 1090 (64%) had ethnicity recorded; 501 were White and 403 were Black or Black British. There were no significant ethnic differences for blood pressure, cholesterol or HbA1c monitoring or control; cervical or mammography screening; treatment with hypotensives, statins, antidepressants, lithium, antipsychotics or atypical antipsychotics. Depot injectable antipsychotics were more likely to be prescribed to Black patients than other delivery modes: OR 2.10 (95% CI: 1.20-3.67).
Conclusions: Measurable aspects of physical health care of patients with psychosis were similar, regardless of ethnicity. Increased use of the depot antipsychotic medication in black patients needs further exploration.